124 



COIIECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



2. Asterias polyplajc. 

 Perrier,. p. 63. 



A small specimen •with two long, two short and stout, and four 

 shorter and more delicate arms. 

 Port Jackson, March 1881. 



3. Echinaster purptirenB. 



Ottilia purpurea, Grai/, Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (1) vi. p. 282. 

 Echinaster lallax, MiM. %■ Trosch. Syst. Asterid. p. 23 ; Perrier, p. 106. 



While some have six and another five arms, not markedly differing 

 in length, another has one very long arm, with a madreporite on 

 either side of its hase, and four shorter arms, of which one is very 

 much shorter than the rest ; it bears, however, indications of injury 

 and subsequent repair. 



Port MoUe ; Port Denison ; Thursday Island, 4-6 fms. 



4. Metrodira subulata. 

 Oral/, Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (1) vi. p. 282. 



Flinders, Clairmont; Alert Island, 7 fms. 



5. LincMa laevigata. 

 Perrier, p. 137. > 



A dried specimen still retains very well its bltie coloration. 

 Clairmont Island. 



6. Linckia nodosa. 



Perrier, p. 163. 



There is not, I think, any doubt that the four specimens from the 

 Arafura Sea (32-36 fms.) and Prince of Wales Channel (7 fms.) 

 are representatives of this species, of which Prof. Perrier has given 

 an admirable description ; the specimens, however, on which that 

 description is based bore no indication of any locality. 



The specimens are very much finer than those measured by 

 M. Perrier, E being equal to 213, 118, and 104 millim., with r 23, 

 18, and 13. The disk with 18 millim. radius has apparently 

 received some injury ; but it may be that, in this species, there 

 is a difference in the sexes, and that the specimen in question is 

 in a different condition of generative maturity to the others ; it is 

 impossible, however, to settle the question, as the example has been 

 dried. 



